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Arts, Crafts & Photography

WV Education and the Arts Announces Opening of Submissions for the Congressional Art Competition

Submissions are being accepted from now until February 9, 2018 for the Congressional Art Competition. High School students may submit art work for a chance to have their work displayed at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. Cabinet Secretary of Education and the Arts said, “This unique opportunity gives students the ability to display their artwork on a national level, promoting our state’s rich artistic culture.” Art work categories include paintings, drawings, collage prints, mixed media, computer generated arts, and photography.

The competition is a partnership with members of the West Virginia Congressional Delegation, the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts, and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. “This is a great opportunity to highlight the incredible talents of our young people in West Virginia. I encourage any student with an artistic interest to participate and make a submission,” Congressman Alex Mooney said.

There will be one winner from each of the three congressional districts and they will receive a $100.00 Dick Blick art supplies gift card. A $50.00 Dick Blick art supplies gift card will be awarded to five second place winners. Congressman Evan Jenkins said, “The arts allow students to express themselves, develop their voices, and explore their creativity. This competition gives young artists from across West Virginia and the nation a chance to display their works for thousands of visitors to the U.S. Capitol. I encourage all of our students to share their creations and am honored to display the winner’s work in Washington.” On March 2, 2018, there will be an art workshop and awards ceremony for participants at the Culture Center in Charleston, WV.

“Each year of this competition we see some fantastic works of art produced by our students. The First District has a wealth of creative talent. I look forward to seeing this year’s winning piece on display in the Capitol each day as I am representing you in Washington,” said Congressman David McKinley.

Students may seek application material(s) and guidelines from their art teachers or principals. They may also contact the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts for more information.

Local Artist with Sculptures in GSC’s RFK Library Passes Away at 89

A half-century ago, Glenville State College became the recipient of two sculptures from local artist Wolfgang Hubert Flor.

In 1966, Glenville State College’s newly completed library named a designated juvenile section after longtime librarian Alma J. Arbuckle. Obtained by faculty members, the room would include a piece by Flor. The carving, entitled ‘What Next,’ is still on display in the children’s room at the Robert F. Kidd Library.

Wolfgang Flor piece titled ‘What Next’ that is on display in the Alma J. Arbuckle children’s room in Glenville State College’s Robert F. Kidd Library

The following year, Flor was commissioned by the faculty and staff at GSC to design a sculpture to accent the library’s main floor. He spent time studying the area and meditating on what would be appropriate for the space. “He saw that a library could be a place where students meet the ancients and speak with them in silence. It was the base of the pyramid of learning and was a place utilized by students for individual studying and reflecting. He believed that people develop the capability to acquire wisdom on their own with the right amount of support, and the library enabled these independent learners to find their own path in life,” said GSC Archivist Jason Gum. These themes resonated with Flor, and he used them to create a piece of art that would exemplify the importance of education, the thirst for knowledge, and to symbolize the path towards enlightenment.

What ended up becoming his final design for the piece used the parable of the prodigal son in The Bible to represent the return of a beloved child to his aging father after he had left home to seek out wisdom on his own. The father embraces and comforts his child knowing that he could never have given his son the knowledge that he gained through his own personal experiences in the world. Flor also wanted the old man to characterize the wisdom that the child had begun to attain through his own personal journeys. The ‘Prodigal Son’ became the title of the carving that was accepted by then Library Director Dr. David Gillespie on October 17, 1968.

On Saturday, December 02, 2017, Mr. Flor passed away at the age of 89.

Flor was born in Naumburg, Silesia, Germany. When he was a teenager, he was forced from his homeland after World War II because allied forces had overtaken the area. While remaining in parts of Germany, doing many different jobs in the English and American sections, he eventually wound up in a whittler’s shop, a job that would spark his passion for artwork.

He made his way to America and traveled extensively throughout the country. In 1961, he made his home in Rock Cave, West Virginia and began creating sculptures on a 30-acre tract of land. He even set up a workshop/studio in a barn without many of the modern-day comforts that most enjoyed at the time.

Wolfgang Flor wood carving ‘Prodigal Son’ that is located on the main floor of GSC’s Robert F. Kidd Library

In addition to his pieces on display at Glenville State College, he also carved the college seal of West Virginia Wesleyan College as well as the 12 apostles and family tree which are displayed in Wesley Chapel on the WV Wesleyan campus. His piece, ‘Integration,’ is displayed at West Virginia University and he also has works at the West Virginia Culture and History Center in Charleston. These are in addition to pieces on display in numerous other places in West Virginia and across the country.

“Glenville State College is proud to have these unique pieces from Mr. Flor on display. We hope his legacy is able to carry on through his artwork,” Gum added.

An opening reception took place on Friday, April 07 at the Blaxxsmith Shop.

GSC students Heather Chambers, Chris Cunningham, and Danielle Shepherd, GSC alumni Sarah Normant and Ezekiel Bonnett, and GSC Academic Support Center employee Heather Coleman all had work showcased in the exhibit.

In preparing for the show, the students learned more about being ‘gallery ready’ with their work in addition to networking, communication with clients, sales and commission, how to create business cards, how to sell their work and show professionally, and the communication process with gallery owners. Coleman said, “The students had a very enriching educational experience at this gallery.”

Each student had two pieces in the show including oil paintings, collage, ceramics, and glass sculpture. GSC Assistant Professor of Art Chris Cosner is a member of the Artist Collective.

The exhibition was on display Friday and Saturday nights from 4:00-10:00 p.m.

Crutchfield Selected for Barr Professional Development Award

Glenville State College Public Relations Specialist Dustin Crutchfield has been selected to receive the 2017 Pete and Betsy Barr Professional Development Award. The award is rotated annually between GSC faculty and staff and must be used within eighteen months of being awarded. The award is designed primarily for the recipient to further their professional growth, although the awardee can use the money to further their particular area of interest in lieu of traditional professional development activities. Crutchfield has used the funds to purchase assorted recording equipment in order to make online and social media video content.

GSC Public Relations Specialist Dustin Crutchfield with some of the equipment purchased with the Barr Professional Development Award

“Video has been and continues to be a popular format to share information online. Outside research has shown it to be an effective way to communicate with a variety of groups, especially younger audiences like potential students,” Crutchfield said. “My intent when applying for the award was to acquire some compact, easy-to-use equipment and software that would allow us to be a little more agile with our online content; something that would allow us to go from idea to output a bit more seamlessly, especially for brief messages.”

The addition of the equipment will mark the first time that the Marketing and Public Relations office will be generating their own video content. “I’m hoping that we can work to slowly begin integrating more video content into our everyday communications to both current and prospective students, alumni, the general public, and others,” he said. Crutchfield says he expects a learning curve and looks forward to working with some experts on campus to acquire new skills.

“I was pleased and surprised to learn that my proposal had been selected. The goal is to live up to the high standards set by the eight previous recipients in their professional development efforts to assist the campus. I extend my thanks to the Barrs’ for funding the award and to the numerous well-wishers who have congratulated me since hearing of the award decision,” said Crutchfield.

Crutchfield graduated from Glenville State College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with an emphasis in marketing in 2009. He is currently in the process of completing a master’s degree from the West Virginia University Reed College of Media. He is a Burnsville, West Virginia native.

The next Barr Award will be presented in January 2018 to a selected faculty applicant. A committee comprised of two faculty members and two staff representatives reviews all applications and selects the awardee.

For more information about the Pete and Betsy Barr Professional Development Award, contact Vice President for College Advancement and Executive Director of GSC Foundation and Chairman of the Pete and Betsy Barr Professional Development Award Selection Committee Denny Pounds at
or 304.462.6381.

Bonnett to Hold Senior Art Show at GSC

Glenville State College senior studio art and graphics and digital media major Ezekiel Bonnett from Cox’s Mills, West Virginia is presenting his senior art show. The show, titled ‘Because Humans,’ will be on display until Friday, December 09. A reception will be held on Thursday, December 01 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be provided.

“Shark Toaster” by Zeke Bonnett

Bonnett describes the pieces in his exhibit as simplistic and abstract. He says the focus on the ideas, emotions, and expression in his artwork is more than art for art’s sake. Most of his mediums are traditional, the majority being metalwork and mixed media. Exploration of duality and the human condition, often featured in his works, mostly express concerns about psychology and philosophy.

The GSC gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and one hour before all Fine Arts Department musical performances.

WVDEP Accepting Photo Entries for Roadsides in Bloom Calendar

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) is accepting photo entries to appear in the 2017 edition of the Operation Wildflower “Roadsides in Bloom” calendar. The deadline to enter photos in the contest is October 01, 2016. The contest is a joint project of the WVDEP and West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT).

There are several requirements that must be met for the entry to be accepted.

- Photographs must be taken in West Virginia.

- Entries must be submitted as 8"x10” color prints and must be landscape orientation (portrait orientation will not be accepted). Each entry must also include a digital copy on a CD, DVD or flash drive submitted with the color print.

- Flowers must be growing along a road and the road must be prominently visible in the photo. The flowers may be growing naturally or in an Operation Wildflower bed planted by the WVDOT’s Division of Highways staff. Pictures of cultivated species planted in arranged beds, such as marigolds, pansies, etc., do not qualify.

- Name, address, phone number and e-mail address (if applicable) of entrant and a short description of the photo, including location and county where photo was taken, must appear in the upper left hand corner on the back of the photo. Photos become property of the WVDEP and will not be returned.

- No more than three entries per person will be accepted. However, only one winning photo will be selected from any photographer’s entries.

- 12 winners will be selected to represent the months of the year. A grand prize winner will be chosen to appear on the calendar cover.

For more DEP news and information, go to www.dep.wv.gov. Also, be sure to connect with the agency on all social media platforms. Follow @DEPWV on Twitter and find us on YouTube by searching “Environment Matters.” For specific information about our REAP (Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan), West Virginia Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), West Virginia Watershed Improvement Branch, Youth Environmental Program and Human Resources initiatives, connect on Facebook.

NEARLY $700,000 FOR COMMUNITY ART PROGRAMS ACROSS WEST VIRGINIA

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) announced a $697,600 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for West Virginia nonprofit and art organizations. The funding will be used to preserve the Mountain State’s cultural heritage and expand opportunities for residents to experience and participate in the arts.

“As West Virginians, we take pride in our rich, cultural heritage and this funding from the NEA will help preserve our unique history and traditions,” Senator Manchin said. “These resources will go towards exposing our kids to traditional music and the arts and give them the opportunity to be creative in different ways while expressing themselves.”

“West Virginia is rich with history and culture, and I believe it is important to keep our state’s creative spirit and proud traditions alive,” said Senator Capito. “This funding will support projects that encourage community engagement and educational opportunities for our students. I applaud the award recipients for their commitment to strengthening our communities through the arts.”

Established in 1965, NEA has funded programs that support arts education, sustains and celebrates our nation’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and promotes equal access to the arts in every community across America. For Fiscal Year 2016, NEA will make 1,148 awards totaling $82,357,050 to nonprofit art and design organizations in all 50 states plus five U.S. jurisdictions.

Individual awards and details are listed below:

• $667,600 – West Virginia Division of Culture and History: Funding will be awarded to the Commission on the Arts (WVCA) to support programs and events that promote creative expression and art appreciation for the benefit of West Virginia citizens and visitors.

• $20,000 –West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Inc.: Funding will be used to support a statewide touring and community engagement project. The orchestra, under the leadership of Artistic Director and Conductor Grant Cooper, will introduce orchestral and chamber music to new audiences throughout West Virginia, as well as present educational programming in schools. Programming may include Young People’s Concerts and The Sounds of West Virginia, which will feature commissioned works by West Virginia composers like Charleston native Matthew Jackfert. Concerts and events will be presented in rural and small towns in West Virginia, such as Beckley, Elkins, Fairmont, Hinton, Lewisburg, Parkersburg, Summersville and Morgantown.

• $10,000 –Wheeling Symphony Society, Inc.: Funding will be used to support a regional performance tour with related educational outreach programs. The orchestra, under the direction of Music Director Andre Raphel, will present a Young People’s Concert program in venues across West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. In collaboration with guest artist ensemble Classical Kids Live!, programming will feature an innovative program, such as “Beethoven Lives Upstairs,“ that engages listeners to explore music through dramatic artistry. The project will include teacher workshops and pre-concert instruction for elementary school children.

CHARLESTON, WV – The West Virginia Department of Education’s (WVDE) tenth annual Arts Alive celebration is Friday, April 22 at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in Charleston. This distinctive arts event showcases outstanding arts education programs and student achievements from across the state including works in dance, theatre, music and visual art.

Arts Alive aims to support developing and establishing arts programs in public schools throughout West Virginia, to inspire local education systems to embrace the arts as an essential part of every child’s education, and to empower the broader learning community to be advocates for comprehensive arts education in public schools.

The tenth year of Arts Alive brings with it the continuation of free master classes provided to students on the day of the event. The young artists featured in Arts Alive will have the opportunity to take classes with West Virginia arts professionals, who are donating their time and expertise to advance the educational mission and focus of Arts Alive.

“This year, we are exhibiting more students and providing opportunities for students to work with master arts professionals in continuing to promote the arts and expand interdisciplinary partnerships throughout the state,” said WVDE Arts Alive Coordinator Dr. Raymond Lowther. “It is inspiring that we are still choosing to focus on and showcase the work of students in these areas.”

The Art Exhibit will open at 6:00 p.m. The program begins at 6:45 p.m. and main stage performance at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public but assigned seating is required. For tickets, call the Clay Center Box Office at 304.561.3570.

Murphy to Hold Senior Art Show at GSC

GLENVILLE, WV - Glenville State College senior studio art major Quentin Murphy from Grantsville, West Virginia is getting ready for his senior art show.

The show, titled ‘Larger Than Life,’ will be on display until Friday, May 7th. His exhibit features original photography, drawings, and paintings.

The exhibition will begin with an opening reception on Monday, April 04 from 6:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

The reception is free and open to the public and refreshments will be provided.

“Art is life; it begins with the creative process of finding yourself. At that moment, thatis when you realize your potential of making your life and everyone’s life around youone worth living. That defines art. It becomes Larger Than Life,” said Murphy.

The GSC gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and one hour before all Fine Arts Department musical performances.

For more information contact Associate Professor of Art John Selburg at
or call 304.462.6346.

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CHARLESTON, WV - First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin today unveiled the 2015 West Virginia Governor’s Mansion limited-edition holiday ornament, the sixth in the series of her annual holiday ornament collection. Keeping with West Virginia tradition, the 2015 holiday ornament was painted by Logan native and Alum Creek resident artist Shelley Goodman, and features a jolly gingerbread man and sparkling holiday candies.

First Lady Tomblin and artist Shelley Goodman show off
the 2015 Governor’s Mansion holiday ornament.

“It is always a wonderful experience collaborating with Shelley and the Division of Culture and History to choose what will be featured each year,“ First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin said. “No confection symbolizes the holidays quite like gingerbread, and Shelley’s detailed painting style really brings it to life. We are honored that she continues to share her talent with us and the citizens of the Mountain State.“

Goodman uses enamel paints to create detailed nature and floral paintings. Although her artistic touch is most often found in kitchenware, she enjoys the challenge of designing the Governor’s Mansion holiday ornaments each year.

Her works, titled “Designs by Shelley,“ are sold at Tamarack in Beckley and at a number of West Virginia’s fairs and festivals across the state. Goodman also designed the 2010 Governor’s Mansion holiday ornament featuring the Cardinal, the 2011 ornament featuring the Rhododendron, the 2012 ornament featuring the Black Bear and Honey Bee, the 2013 ornament featuring Sugar Maple leaves and Monarch butterfly and last year’s ornament featuring white Poinsettia leaves and Holly berries. Goodman also designed the official West Virginia Sesquicentennial ornament.

Funding support for the 2015 Governor’s Mansion ornament was partially provided by a grant from The Tamarack Foundation. In addition, Dunbar artist Steve Cassle’s drawing of the Governor’s Mansion is featured on the ornament card.

This year’s ornament is available for purchase at the West Virginia State Museum Shop at the Culture Center in Charleston, at Tamarack in Beckley, or online at http://www.tamarackwv.com for $24. A portion of each sale will be donated to the West Virginia Governor’s Mansion Preservation Fund to help preserve the mansion for future generations to enjoy.

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G-LtE™: Mountain State Art & Craft Fair

Friends,

As artists, crafts people, business people, and taxpayers, I believe you will be SIGNIFICANTLY CONCERNED about this. I have recently learned that the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair Board of Directors will be VOTING OCTOBER 21, 2015 to END the tradition of the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair in July.

Many of us have a vested interest in the success of the MSACF and realize that it has suffered from declining attendance and budgetary woes. There are many contributing factors to this decline of “The Fair”. None of us can deny that the marketing of art & craft work has changed in recent years and we recognize that some changes have to be made to make “The Fair” profitable again. Rather than make some changes to revitalize the 51 year tradition of “The Fair”, a decision has been made to discard everything and ‘start a new festival in September’ with a new name.

I do not want to implicate or accuse any one of any wrong-doing. I only seek to share concerns and information so that YOU CAN TAKE ACTION based on YOUR OPINIONS. Some areas of concern for me:

• The MSACF receives a notable amount of TAXPAYER funding through support/sponsorship of various WV State agencies. The money from those agencies is for the MSACF, and I would suggest that it is NOT LEGAL to simply redirect those funds without action from each of those agencies and possibly from the WV Legislature.

• The president and a small number of the board of directors have made these plans in NON-PUBLIC meetings and presented their plan to the full board of directors indicating “this is what we’ll vote on next meeting” and “let us know if you have a problem with this”. I maintain that ALL decisions for “The Fair” should be discussed, debated and decided in an OPEN, PUBLIC FORUM….no back room meetings and behind the scenes schemes

• There is a required PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD for people to voice concerns and offer alternate solutions. However, this time line is being fast-tracked to avoid controversy of what will, undoubtedly, be a controversial issue.

• The dates for the 2016 MSACF have already been published and promoted. People will show up for an event that will not be occurring….those folks may have spent their entire vacation budget to “come home” to WV for a long-standing tradition.

• ARTS and CRAFTS will be a small portion of the focus of the new September festival, with focus on ethnic “Villages” , antiques, craft beer tasting, wine tasting and a Mini-Epcot Center. ART will be a ‘side-line’.

• One of the main missions of the WV Art & Craft Guild has been to promote & support the MSACF, yet the WVACG has been virtually shut out from any discussions about the future of “The Fair”.

• Emphasis on High Quality ART & CRAFT work has been discarded

Overall, it seems to me that the tradition of ART & CRAFT in WV is being tossed aside and the funds which are intended by our citizens to be used to support and promote the ARTS & CRAFTS for our future generations are being used in a way which concerns me.

IF THE FUTURE OF the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair is important to you, PLEASE contact the commissioner or directors of those sponsoring agencies, and contact Governor Tomblin, and remember….THE MEETING IS AN OPEN, PUBLIC MEETING. 10:00 A.M. October 21, 2015 at Cedar Lakes Conference Center, Ripley, WV

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Opening Reception for Ceramics Exhibit is October 15 at GSC - Today

GLENVILLE, WV - The community is invited to attend an Opening Reception for ‘Magic Tricks’ the Ceramics Exhibit by Jacob Grant and Jacob Miller on Thursday, October 15, 2015 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. in the Glenville State College Fine Arts Center Gallery.

Jacob Grant and Jacob Miller will bring their ceramics show ‘Magic Tricks’ to Glenville State College;
an opening reception is planned for Thursday, October 15

Grant has an MFA in Ceramics from Bradley University in Peoria, IL and he owns Wheel Art Pottery Studio in Peoria. Miller has his BFA from Alfred University in Ceramics.

If you miss the opening reception, don’t worry. The show will be on display until Friday, November 20 and the gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and one hour before all Fine Arts Department musical performances.

GSC Graduate to Display Artwork during Homecoming Week

GLENVILLE, WV - Glenville State College alumnus Joseph Pettit will be presenting several of his oil paintings in front of the Robert F. Kidd Library on Friday, September 25 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. as part of this year’s Homecoming Week festivities.

Before graduating from GSC in 1976, Pettit spent two years in the United States Army. He then taught school for 10 years, worked 25 years in the saw mill industry, and is now retired. He is a native of Braxton County, West Virginia and resides in Sutton.

Again this year, he is providing one original painting for a drawing. Everyone is welcome to stop by the library, view the paintings, and enter their name in the drawing which will be held at 3:45 p.m.

In the event of adverse weather, his artwork will be on display inside the RFK Library on first floor.

Governor Tomblin Announces more than $760,000 in Arts Grant Awards

CHARLESTON, WV - Governor Earl Ray Tomblin today announced the awarding of $763,044 in grant funds to support and build the arts in community and statewide programs across West Virginia.

“Our state is filled with a rich history and a robust artistic culture,” Governor Tomblin said. “The arts not only connect us to our past, but also to our family, friends and the communities we call home. It is my hope this grant funding will allow today’s recipients to continue their efforts to strengthen and build West Virginia’s arts community now and for years to come.”

The American Masterpiece grant provides funding to support access to and deeper experiences of American masterpieces and works of American masters. Funding was awarded to the following American Masterpiece recipients:

GREENBRIER
Greenbrier Valley Repertory Theatre
$10,000

KANAWHA
Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences Charleston
$10,000
The Arts Partners grant provides general operating support to long-standing, stable art organizations. Funding was awarded to the following Arts Partners recipients:

The Challenge America grant provides funding for innovative projects that provide arts education to community members, expand or improve access to art experiences, use the arts as a catalyst for change, address cultural tourism and celebrate the unique characteristics of the arts in West Virginia, or create strong communities through the arts. Funding was awarded to the following Challenge America recipients:

GREENBRIER
Carnegie Hall
$15,000

JEFFERSON
CraftWorks at Cool Spring
$9,445

KANAWHA
West Virginia Symphony Orchestra
$11,922

OHIO
Wheeling Symphony Society
$3,633

The Community Arts grant provides funds that support for projects that offer arts programming to the public and planning and organizational development projects that strengthen West Virginia arts organizations. Funding was awarded to the following Community Arts recipients:

Brian and Montie send their condolences to Gary’s family, especially to Nancy and Sharon for the death of a husband and father. Nothing can really prepare us for such a loss as this. We are thinking about you at this sad time.

Gilmer County has long memories. We recall the hill crest fund raiser out along Mineral Road to raise money for the Manchin political machine.

That was followed by Gayle’s insulting rant against the County leading to the damage of our school system and outlying communities during the State’s six years of iron rule intervention.

The good news is that Gayle is gone along with all other members of the WV State Board of Education responsible for our County’s intervention and the waste and mismanagement it wrought. Karma is alive and well WV!

Great guy, who would do anything to help you. He would have probably got a kick out of having some strange woman’s face plaistered on his obituary. He would have had something smart to say about it I’m sure.

He had a great sense of humor. I saw him a little while back. I stopped by his house and visited with him a couple hours and as I went in I told him I stopped by to see if I could borrow his fancy car parked out front, expecting to meet with some resistance to that idea. Without missing a beat he said “Sure, just don’t let any of my kids drive it!“ We had a really nice visit that day - talking about cars and reminscing.

so sorry to hear this news. He took over Steve Grossmann’s mail route and we sure did appreciate his getting the mail delivered in all kinds of weather. Slipping and sliding all the way. I loved his little dog that would look for snakes in the Normantown P.O.

Not surprised the Board of Ed supporting employees for raises and insurance. These people show they care about good employees over and over.
Just after they got our school system out from under state control they stood unanimously against the state appointed superintendent and his hand picked lawyer who tried to take away jobs from 8 professionals including Teachers and 4 service personnel. Can’t even count the number of transfers. Gilmer’s Board of Ed just said no to that hit list. They stand up for this county and the kids..

Long list of candidates for the School Board. It would help voters decide if each candidate would publish a write-up of their personal backgrounds to include special qualifications for serving on the school board, and to include detailed goals for what they would like to achieve as a board member. The information would be far more useful to voters than signs plastered all over the County.

How about the new superintendent of Gilmer’s schools giving a progress report on her accomplishments so far in improving the quality of our schools to produce better prepared HS graduates for college and careers, plans for continual upgrading of academic achievements by our students, and how results will be accurately measured and reported to be convincing that our County is moving ahead? Doesn’t sound too much to ask for by bill paying citizens.

The question for the County’s sitting School Board is what is being done with corrective actions to get the County’s HS graduates out of the worst prepared bottom group for college and career preparedness as the State has reported?

Because more students graduate it does not mean that they mastered key subjects to promote success in the modern work place. Can anyone say grade inflation?

Example of a yes/but situation. Just because kids are pushed through does not mean that they are college and career ready. Read past comments about Gilmer’s being in the failing category for academic preparation. The way WV info is reported allows selective use of results to bloat up claims of how well a high school does in preparing students for the real world.

Sunday’s Charleston Gazette-Mail had a warning that just because a high school has a high graduation rate that does not mean that its students are college ready. Gilmer County is one of them to put us in the State’s bottom category for readiness, but you won’t hear about it locally. Kids call it dumbing down.

This point should be kept in mind i.e. “The Commission has directed all privately owned electric, gas, water, sewer and solid waste facilities to track the tax savings resulting from the 2017 Federal Tax Act on a monthly basis beginning January 01, 2018. “.

Troyan advocates for competition among schools with survival of the top performers. Her point is that the lack of accountability for county school system administrators must change to be similar to the way corporate America functions. Failure must have consequences!

Gilmer singled out again in article by Jessi Troyan for our being at the bottom for preparing high school grads for college. We know we have a serious problem. We await on top school system leadership to devise a workable remedial plan for the County. Denial of having problems cannot be used anymore to cover up

Those who go to college perform down at the bottom in comparison to high school graduates in other WV counties. This evidence suggests that Gilmer’s students who don’t go to college are short changed too. Immediate leadership changes to straighten out under achievement are in order!

The whole child concept is admirable, but with GCHS grads being behind in proficiency for academic subjects we need to make changes to drastically improve learning to enable our kids to compete in the highly competitive modern world.

Our being the 52nd worse off among 55 WV counties for college remediation rates is undeniable proof.

Administrators must determine legitimate causes of our bottom ranking for use in improving learning instead of applying usual low payoff tinkering to be passed off as progress.

Wanna bet that in green counties when results sag there is no hesitancy to make administrative changes when needed? In Gilmer County the approach has been to hide facts and to manufacture rosy ones to report to citizens.

This is basically the process for an improvement plan. A school board specifies student achievement standards and it assigns a superintendent to work with central office staff and school administrators to produce a comprehensive plan for making needed changes. After putting a plan in place results are closely monitored by a school board while holding a superintendent personally accountable for achieving the standards.

The no excuse rate for Gilmer County is 59% and there are only three other WV counties worse off. This alarming information flags dire need for the County’s school board to do its job by implementing an improvement plan.

I always thought a Harvard education was something special. Well, I guess it is. Just a week ago they had ‘sex week’. One of the course offerings was analsex101. That’s right. Google it. Plenty of coverage. True story.

Why are Gilmer’s voters kept in the dark about activities of the two LSICs in the County? No published agendas before meetings, no published meeting minutes, and plans with details for school improvements are not disclosed. Violation of WV’s open meeting laws? To top it off memberships of LSIC’s and who selected the individuals are kept secret from voters.

LSIC plans are short on specifics for measurable academic improvements to be achieved. That way no matter what happens extraordinary successes can be proclaimed. The strategy is designed to make meaningful accountability impossible for school system administrators.

All high schools in WV have ACT Profile Reports for each graduating class.

The only performance information typically cited in school districts is average ACT scores for graduating classes.

If you can get copies of Reports for your high schools read them to independently evaluate testing results for career and college readiness, science, technology engineering and math (STEM), and other categories.

Chances are that your local administrators gloated that average ACT scores for graduating classes are commendable to give your high schools passing marks, but other testing outcomes in the Reports may show otherwise.

It is doubtful if LSIC members for your high schools know about the Reports to be grounds for demanding academic improvement plans. Check Reports for high schools in your school district to make up your own minds.

Aren’t they supposed to have agendas AND minutes for each and every meeting, by law? They put it right there on the agendas that there were None. And months’ go by without even Seeing an Agenda. It’s a citizen’s right to go in and ask to see them ALL. Someone needs to look into this. Especially with all the speculation that goes on around legal issues in the county!

The grade 7 spike in math in comparison to lowered performances in higher grades begs the question about reasons. What is being done to ensure that math skills will not drop by graduation time? Has anyone looked at adverse effects of block scheduling and other factors?

We’ll. It’s a step forward to see the Commission AGENDA - but what about the minutes? The last two agendas have said “ Approve County Commission Minutes-None” Aren’t there supposed to legally be minutes for the public to read????? This makes NO sense unless things are going on that the Commission doesn’t want the public to know. Obviously. SHOW THE MINUTES Jean Butcher, do your job!

This posting is very informative and it documents what can be done with innovative approaches to teaching math. For too long we were fed the party line that all was well in our schools for math and everything else. That myth prevailed because facts were hidden to hold down the County’s demands for accountability. Hats are off to Kelly Barr and Traci DeWall.

During intervention it was commonly known that school board members made repeated requests for all kinds of student progress information, but it was kept from them. That era has ended and the County’s school board is expected to focus on its top priority responsibility that is to continually improve student learning in our schools. Our kids can perform if they are given the chance.

Gilmer look at this Did You Know. If you look at the State’s data on Zoom Dashboard to review changes in mastery of math and reading for the GCHS’s 11th grade for the 2011 and 2017 testing years it is clear the you have a problem with your math program. In 2011 the math pass rate was 36.92 compared to 37.29% in 2017. Progress with reading was truly commendable. The pass rate went from 26.98 in 2011 to 64.41% in 2017. Why the lack of progress for math? We know that your school board members are trying to get information about plans for improvements for math and science, but is full disclosure of details any better than it was under intervention? Let us know.

It doesn’t seem like Gilmer County Law Officials seem to care about the murders in the area. In my opinion. We don’t hear anything from the law on Any of the pertinent local situations. Why IS that? We know MUCH more about national news that we know about the goings on in Gilmer. Crimes, drug busts, investigations and Answers to those investigations. Why don’t we Ever hear any news from the Sheriff’s Department?? Still wondering why Deputy Wheeler was reassigned to school patrol officer and who took over his murder investigative duties. Can’t get anyone to pick up the phone or an answer when I call. Maybe someone on the Gilmer Free Press can shed some light?

“We should welcome refugees and immigrants to the United States because it’s good for our society, for our economy, and for our nation.“

WRONG - Diversity in populations has been proven to be, not helpful to society, but harmful. Immigrant groups who refuse to assimilate are a problem not a benefit, and will remain a problem until they do assimilate.

It’s understood that not all Muslims are terrorists, but for practical purposes all terrorists are Muslims. And please spare me the Timothy McVey arguments. McVey and his ilk were loners. Muslim terrorists are part of an organized movement.

I think almost all immigration should cease until the present immigrant population can be dealt with, through assimilation or otherwise.

Nice to see the Gilmer County Commission finally reveal their meeting minutes after long lapses of no information. Can’t help but wonder if this was posted specifically because of the topic - Sheriff Gerwig being assigned to another estate case before closing out others. Memories of Willard F. Cottrill today. d. 10/20/10 R.I.P. The minutes should be interesting. Let freedom ring.

From WV Zoom Dash Board. GCES 6th grade student proficiency rate=20% for math and 31% for reading. Gilmer County demands a K-12 improvement plan everyone can understand and promote!!! We have had enough of the everything is just fine claims.

It is a common occurrence for school administrators to carefully select one small piece of information to purposely give a school a rosy performance rating for student learning and to hide unflattering information from an LSIC and a local BOE. The way to prevent the censorship is for superintendents to routinely provide access to all testing results so performance evaluations for a school can be based on a full set of facts.

The community has observed that there is an improved way of doing business by the GCBOE and the new superintendent after the State pulled out. One problem to solve after the State’s neglect for six years of intervention is low student success at the GCHS for math and science. There is documentation on the ZoomWV Dashboard kept by the WV Education Department. The pass rate for GCHS students for M & S is in the 30s. What is the HS’s LSIC group doing to improve those scores? Does it have a detailed improvement plan for the school and if it does it should be disclosed. M and S under achievement underscores why it is important to know what the County’s LSICs are doing to improve our schools academically.

Should not have to get LSIC membership from principals. The information should be published for the public record for all interested citizens including taxpayers to know. Gilmer’s secrecy has been a long time tool used to undermine accountability and it must stop!

We 4-H supporters wish to express our appreciation to Mrs. Hurley and the other board of Education members with the 100% vote to hold and sell this trailer for 4-H use/utilization. This new office space for the very nominal fee is much appreciated.

Kudos to Hurley for staying in contact with the past 4-H director and making sure all was well and agenda requirements were met. We had heard we were not going to get the trailer. Thanks goodness the fake news was totally wrong.

Moving out of the old infirmary building will be a real blessing. The group has learned a valuable lesson.

Do not take the word of ANY others about what the Board of Ed tries to do for each and every community in Gilmer County. Go to the source.